Introduction of PLA

From Corn to Plastic

How is NatureWorks® polymer made? We start with an abundant, natural resource like field corn, which can easily and efficiently be reproduced each year. When plants grow, they use CO2 and sunlight to create carbon – a process called photosynthesis. At a wet milling facility, the starch is separated from the other components of the corn kernel and into dextrose. The dextrose, or sugar, is fermented, in a process similar to making yogurt, to create lactic acid. Lactic acid is a naturally occurring material that gives the “tang” to yogurt and makes your muscles ache after a work-out. From lactic acid we create a molecule called lactide. We remove water, crystallize it and create the high-performance polymer – polylactide (PLA) – which is branded NatureWorks® and is also used to make Ingeo™ fiber.